


Enigma

by amberforest



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 9.06 Coda, I couldn't deal with these dorks, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-03 23:55:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1074558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amberforest/pseuds/amberforest





	Enigma

Sam grinned. "Welcome home, Cas."

Castiel stepped further in to the bunker. It was the second time he'd been here as a human, yet this time was so much more... Real. Permanent. He had a duffel bag with his belongings in one hand, the other arm wrapped around his abdomen, pressing in to the bandaged wound he'd sustained from the angel. 

Dean stepped up next to him and took the duffel. Cas' mind blanked momentarily as their hands brushed, before kicking back in to gear and giving Sam a returning smile. "Thank you, Sam."

Dean smiled privately to himself at the exchange before slapping Cas gently on the back. "Alright, come on. We'll drop your stuff off in your room and then head to the showers. You reek, man."

"I look forward to it," Cas said. "The motel's water pressure did not quite live up to the bunker's."

Dean and Sam both laughed at that, although Cas didn't quite understand why. He was only speaking the truth. He still smiled though, because he'd made the Winchesters happy. That's all that mattered.

Sam went off to order food for the four of them. (Apparently Kevin was also somewhere in the bunker.) Dean helped Cas in to the shower after stopping quickly at his room for a change of clothes. He gave him a quick lesson on avoiding getting his bandages wet and then left Cas to his own devices. 

Unbeknownst to the rest of them, Cas was quite proud of himself. He managed to twist his bodies in the way Dean showed him and get himself sufficiently clean without falling down or ruining the bandages.

He slowly eased himself in to his change of clothes (he especially liked the shirt that said "Led Zeppelin" on the front because it smelled of Dean and the bunker) and managed to find his way to the kitchen where Dean and Sam were just unpacking the food. 

Dean looked up and smiled easily. "Hey." He gestured to the food. "Burgers. Your favorite." 

Cas smiled back, so widely that he felt his cheeks hurt. Dean and Sam paused for a moment just to stare in astonishment at the sight before Dean finally gestured for Cas to sit down across from him, smiling (yet again) back.

They ate mostly in silence as Sam suggested they should wait until they were properly fed before really catching up. 

Half way through the meal, Cas felt Dean's foot slide in between his own outstretched ones. Cas froze and looked up at him in confusion. However, seeing as he was still looking down instead of at him, Cas thought better than to question it. Dean had that look in his eye that meant 'Go along with it.' His foot stayed there for the remainder of the meal.

After they'd finished, they'd headed to the living room.

"Has anything interesting happened while I was away?" Cas inquired.

"Charlie came for a while before leaving with a friend." Sam replied.

"Charlie Bradbury?"

"Yeah... How'd you know?" Dean asked, confused.

"She was written in the Winchester gospels. You... Also prayed to me about her."

Dean looked down and away from Sam's questioning look. Thankfully, he seemed to drop it.

"Uh... Dean turned in to a dog."

"Excuse me?" Cas asked incredulously.

"Dammit, Sam. Was that really necessary?" 

Sam laughed. "He did! It was hilarious. We took this case a few weeks back..." He launched in to a full retelling of the case.

"C'mon, man, I couldn't help it!" Dean groaned as Sam laughed. And then Cas started laughing, and Dean froze. (Of course, Sam was still cracking up in the background.) 

He'd never heard Cas laugh before, and he didn't care if he sounded like a teenage girl, it was a damn gorgeous sound. Maybe it was because he thought he'd never hear it, or maybe it was because he really was a teenage girl, but that didn't stop it from being beautiful. 

He was brought back to reality when Sam stuttered, "And he- and he wouldn't stop! I must've thrown it in there like three times and every time he'd take it out and give it back to me! And when he finally realized, he friggin' whimpered like I'd kicked him or something. Oh, and don't get me started on the mailman."

"What about the mailman?" Cas asked through his laughs.

"He and the Colonel- that was the name of the dog- they both went to the window and-" He broke off the gasp for breath before starting again. "They both started barking! Dean even growled! 'Hey! You! You! Rrrr...'"

"Alright, that's enough storytelling," Dean snapped, but he was still smiling because Cas and Sam were still cracking up. Cas choked out laughs through the pain his wound was causing him until they slowly eased up. 

"I don't understand though... why am I crying?" He furrowed his brow and stared at the tear streaks on his hand. 

Dean rolled his eyes. "They're like... Happy tears. Y'know, like when someone laughs really hard and starts wiping at their eyes? Like that."

Sam smiled gently as Cas sniffed loudly and continued wiping at his eyes. "You've also been through a lot. You're probably hysterical as well as in pain."

"Yeah, thanks professor," Dean said, elbowing him in the ribs. "You okay, Cas? Maybe you should call it."

Cas nodded, not wanting to make any sound because he didn't trust his voice to be sturdy.

"Come on," Dean said, offering a hand to help him up. He took it.

"Night, Cas!" Sam called after them. 

Cas was surprised to see his room the way he'd left it; Bed made, the old hoodie he'd worn laid over the back of his desk chair, and a single picture Sam had snagged of him and Dean somewhere along the way. He'd forgotten to take it with him. 

He stared at it for a while before Dean cleared his throat and nudged him. "Here. Pjs. And don't forget to brush your teeth before you go to sleep. Do you have enough blankets?" He frowned at the bed as if it had offended him personally. "Maybe more pillows too. God knows we have enough to spare." 

"Dean."

"Yeah?"

"Stop talking please. You're making my head hurt."

Dean grinned. "Sorry."

"Something tells me you're not sorry at all."

"I'm not," he rolled his eyes and handed him the bundle of clothes. "G'night Cas."

\----

Four hours later, Cas was lying awake in his bed. The flashing clock across the room said 2:00 AM. Sleeping had always been a challenge for him. It had been only marginally easier in the bunker. Maybe Dean could help.

He quietly padded to Dean's room, careful not to wake anyone else. He creaked the door open. "Dean," he whispered. He must've caught him during a nightmare because within seconds he was pinned against the wall with a knife against his neck. Cas kept remarkably quiet.

"Cas? What the hell, man? You don't jut sneak up on a hunter while they're sleeping. You of all people should know that, you've done it enough times."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep. I-"

He sounded so small that it nearly physically pained Dean. "It's okay." He released him. "Just don't do it again. You want some pills or something?" He paused. "On second thought, no pills for you." Cas just furrowed his brow. Dean rolled his eyes. "So, you can't sleep. Uh... What do you want me to do about it?"

"Sleeping's always been a problem for me. You've been doing it much longer. I thought you could help."

Dean thought for a moment. "Get in bed."

"What?"

"Just do it, Cas." Cas complied, and before he knew what was happening, Dean was crawling in next to him. 

"Dean, what are you-" He was cut off as he was yanked face first in to Dean's chest. He was suddenly overpowered by Dean's... Everything. His smell, his warmth, everything he'd been missing. It was like he'd finally found peace. 

And then Dean started singing. Quietly, almost too soft to hear, but Cas heard it. 

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her in to your heart, and you can start to make it better."

Cas' eyes slowly drifted shut. He didn't want to sleep though, he wanted to listen to Dean's singing...

"Hey Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, then you can begin to make it better.

"And any time you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders." The melody started fading in to a whisper, almost as if Dean was giving him advice rather than singing to him. "For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder. Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah...

"Hey Jude, don't let me down. You have found her, now go and get her. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better." 

At this point, Dean was whispering the lyrics in to his hair, until finally he trailed out, his lips resting feather light on his scalp. 

With his eyes closed and voice muffled, Cas murmured, "That was the song your mother would sing to you."

"How'd you know that?" Dean asked, still whispering, although more urgently. 

"She always told you angels were watching over you. You have a beautiful voice..." That was the last thing Cas said before falling asleep, leaving Dean to stare at the quietly snoring enigma in his arms.


End file.
